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Editorial: Gov. Deval Patrick's signing of gun legislation a compromise, but a step in the right direction

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Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Ma., speaks at the New England Governors and eastern Canadian Premiers 38th annual conference in Bretton Woods, N.H. Patrick has a handful of bills on his desk awaiting his signature, including a proposed overhaul of the state's gun laws. The bill would give Massachusetts police chiefs the right to go to court to try to deny firearms identification cards needed to buy rifles or shotguns to individuals they feel are unsuitable.
(Jim Cole/Associated Press)

Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law a comprehensive law on gun violence that might go a long way toward preventing it.

The Republican reporter Shira Schoenberg summarized its provisions:

"The law will bring Massachusetts into compliance with a federal background check system by requiring the state to report to a federal database any mental illness and substance abuse commitments. It creates new firearms crimes, like assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, and enhances sentences for existing gun crimes.

"It mandates the creation of school safety plans, requires schools to address students' mental health needs and requires the police to assign a school resource officer to every district. The law makes a felony conviction a lifetime disqualifier for having a gun license.

"It requires the state to develop an online tool by which anyone selling a gun privately must register information about the buyer and seller and receive approval to conduct the sale.

"It requires gun dealers to conduct criminal record checks on employees. It also includes additional data reporting requirements related to tracing guns used in crimes."

We’ve liked this bill all along for many of its provisions. While we, like many gun control advocates, were saddened by the exclusion of the police chief’s discretion in awarding firearms identification cards regarding long guns and rifles, we agree that the legislation holds up as good law. It represents a compromise, but a reasonable one. Police chiefs still have discretion over awarding FID cards for handguns.

Massachusetts already had very strong laws regarding guns; and this act only strengthens the law.